The field of invention relates generally to optical communications and, more specifically but not exclusively relates to technique for modulating the cavity optical path length of an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) for suppression of Stimulated Brillouin scattering in fiber links into which the laser""s output is launched.
There is an increasing demand for tunable lasers for test and measurement uses, wavelength characterization of optical components, fiberoptic networks and other applications. In dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) fiberoptic systems, multiple separate data streams propagate concurrently in a single optical fiber, with each data stream created by the modulated output of a laser at a specific channel frequency or wavelength. Presently, channel separations of approximately 0.4 nanometers in wavelength, or about 50 GHz are achievable, which allows up to 128 channels to be carried by a single fiber within the bandwidth range of currently available fibers and fiber amplifiers. Greater bandwidth requirements will likely result in smaller channel separation in the future.
DWDM systems have largely been based on distributed feedback (DFB) lasers operating with a reference etalon associated in a feedback control loop, with the reference etalon defining the ITU wavelength grid. Statistical variation associated with the manufacture of individual DFB lasers results in a distribution of channel center wavelengths across the wavelength grid, and thus individual DFB transmitters are usable only for a single channel or a small number of adjacent channels.
Continuously tunable external cavity lasers have been developed to overcome the limitations of individual DFB devices. Various laser-tuning mechanisms have been developed to provide external cavity wavelength selection, such as mechanically tuned gratings used in transmission and reflection. External cavity lasers must be able to provide a stable, single mode output at selectable wavelengths while effectively suppress lasing associated with external cavity modes that are within the gain bandwidth of the cavity. These goals have been difficult to achieve, and there is accordingly a need for an external cavity laser that provides stable, single mode operation at selectable wavelengths.
Typically, optical signals are transmitted over a fiber optic based infrastructure comprising multiple fiber links. One problem that may occur when laser-based optical sources transmit optical signals over fiber relates to Brillouin scattering. Brillouin scattering is an inelastic process in which part of the power is lost from an optical wave and absorbed by the transmission medium. The remaining energy is then re-emitted as an acoustic wave of lower frequency. Brillouin scattering processes can become nonlinear in optical fibers due to the high optical intensity in the core and the long interaction lengths afforded by these waveguides. Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) occur when the light launched into the fiber exceeds a threshold power level for the process. Under the conditions of stimulated scattering, optical power is more efficiently converted from the input pump wave to a scattered Stokes wave.
The scattered wave is frequency-shifted from the pump and in the case of SBS propagates in the opposite direction. This means that the amount of optical power leaving the far end of the fiber no longer increases linearly with the input power. The maximum launch power becomes clamped and the excess is simply reflected back out of the fiber. For long distance or highly-branched fiber links, it is important that as much power as possible can be launched into the fiber to compensate for attenuation and power splitting. Limits on the maximum output power due to SBS should therefore be avoided.
The foregoing stimulated Brillouin scattering problem is addressed in DBF lasers by using current control. However, this approach does not work for tunable external cavity lasers.